Street musicians struggle for turf in Provincetown

Saturday

Jul 20, 2013 at 12:01 AMJul 20, 2013 at 8:16 PM

Sgt. Thomas Koumanelis stood across from Town Hall Saturday morning watching street performer Marsha Mello as she strummed her guitar, but he wasn’t there to be entertained. Mello told police that another busker, Will Harrington, has been saying nasty things about her.

Ann Wood

Sgt. Thomas Koumanelis stood across from Town Hall Saturday morning watching street performer Marsha Mello as she strummed her guitar, but he wasn’t there to be entertained. Mello told police that another busker, Will Harrington, has been saying nasty things about her.

This situation cropped up two weeks earlier when Harrington said he verbally reserved the right to play in front of Town Hall at 7:30 p.m. but, when he wheeled his piano out there shortly after seven, Mello was playing. She would be done at 8:30 p.m., she told him. Harrington said he was upset but nonetheless returned at that time to find another busker performing — whom Mello told could play next. Harrington was angry, but Mello said he didn’t ask her to reserve the time slot for him.

Street performers are allowed to play daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., but only for 90 minutes to two hours in one spot, if another performer is waiting in the wings. Although each busker is required to have a permit through the police department and street performer bylaws are in place, rules and procedures are usually worked out between performers — unless there is a complaint.

Mello made a complaint last Saturday, as she was setting up around 11:30 a.m. A fellow who was sitting on a Town Hall bench told her that Harrington was scheduled to begin playing at 1 p.m., but Mello said she was going to play until two. Mello said she told Koumanelis that she felt threatened by the guys on the bench, whom she said Harrington had set against her, and Koumanelis promised to stand by.

Harrington’s arrival proved uneventful. He showed up at one, saw Mello playing and rolled his piano farther down Commercial Street. He set up in front of a gallery where he had been invited to play. He says he never threatened or harassed Mello but was angry when she took his spot two weeks back and then gave his second time slot away.

Indeed, finding a public space to perform in Provincetown is a problem. Unless a business owner allows a busker to work in front of the shop, there are limited spots available, busker Lorijo Manley said on Friday. The most popular space is in front of Town Hall, she says, then there’s the old library and the new library. Driveway space in front of the old firehouse at Court Street and Seamen’s Bank are also available when they are not open.

Jim Austin and Bentley Smith, who make up the banjo and guitar duo Salty Paws, were playing in front of the bank on Friday evening.

“We looked for three spaces tonight before we found this one,” Austin said. “I had a gentleman very politely and rationally say we couldn’t play in the [A-House] alley because it’s private property, so we moved.”

Smith finds it odd that most businesses don’t want buskers performing in front of them, because he feels it would draw attention to the business, especially because of the type of music they perform.

“We like keeping songs from the 19th century alive. We like keeping sea shanties alive,” Austin added.

Sophie Crafts, who played “Ruby Tuesday” on the accordion and tapped her feet while her marionette Flocka danced beside her, works in front of Cabot’s Candy. She doesn’t even bother playing in front of Town Hall. It’s the one place where buskers try to organize, she said, but because people sit on the benches for hours on end, there’s less turnover.

“This is my favorite spot. Town Hall’s nice but people expect to see buskers there,” she said. And while it’s easy to become territorial, Crafts said cooperation is key. Last year she played a festival in Scotland, and when all the buskers were done playing, they went out to eat and drink together. “We have the common goal of bringing our music here,” she added.

Her performance has evolved over the three years she’s been in town — and this year is different because of the puppet.

“It’s her first year,” Crafts said. “I should make her a tiny [street performer’s] permit to match mine.”

Damon Gorham, who was here last year and in the early ’90s, said he thinks there may be more street performers this year. Lisa Cook, record keeper for the Provincetown Police Dept., said that, as of Monday, there have been 147 street performer licenses given out thus far this year. That’s about the same number as in years past, she said, adding that if a group wants to perform on the street, each member must get a permit.

Gorham does see a fight for space.

“You just deal with a lot more crap to make your money,” he said. “But Provincetown is generally very friendly and very easy to play compared to other places I’ve played.”

Manley, who has been performing in town for about seven years and has been playing around the country since she was a kid, agreed. She said Provincetown is one of the most pleasant places to play — usually.

“You get prepared to wait for a long time if you have to. There are a few people who don’t honor the bylaw or the street performers’ credo,” she said. “There have been a few moments this year … with a few people who don’t seem to care, who I won’t name.”

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